This invention relates to ornamental railings made of glass or plastic panels. Glass railings have been in existence for some time. They have great aesthetic value, creating the illusion of a handrail floating in mid-air. For example, such a glass panel railing is disclosed in Kohn and Sugar, U.S. Pat. No. 903,730. Until recently, however, an independent support means for the railing was needed, as the glass panel alone could not support the railing.
The problem of self-supporting glass railings was recently solved by Blum, Re. No. 28,643. The invention of Blum disclosed a closed structure, in which the glass panels extended all the way from the handrail to the floor or support for the staircase. Also, the glass panels constituted the sole vertical support means for the railing.